Really enjoyed the whole report Bob - thank you!
When you get a minute can you report on your experience with arranging your airshipment home from India? First hand advise would save me a lot of grief I think!

Thanks for the report, Bob.

Your story about the wine - very annoying. When we were leaving Bangkok we bought a bottle of Hennessey XO Cognac, our usual duty free purchase. As we checked it to our United flight they told us we could not take it onboard. We could check it (ha ha). They did have an employee escort Cheryl back to the duty free shop to return it and get credit on her credit card. According to the employee, United is the only carrier out of Bangkok that doesn't allow duty-free liquor on board.

Great report on your India travels.

Arriving in Delhi 27 Jan - can you post your driver's details please?

Thanks - VHS.

the driver is anoop kapoor

his e mail is: [email protected]

his cell is: 91119868368440
you may need some international digits in front....

air shipments...our rug was sent directly from a carpet dealer in agra...they arranged it all with ups air....5 day shipment....the cost was in excess of $200 but was included in the price of our rug...

the shipment from thailand was also handled by the merchant and it too was by ups....it was just under $200 for 25 kilos (50+ pounds)

i think that many of the business centers in the larger hotels will assist you or you could just call fedex or ups or dhl for assistance....there are shipping companies as well but this is more complicated...your hotel will advise you...many merchants will also ship and some will even consolidate things for you from various shops...

our rug came bound up in burlap in a long bail...our names and address were printed on the outside in large letters along with our phone number...no duty was paid upon delivery...not sure if i will be billed or if it falls under the gsp program which is duty free...

Thanks Bob for the shipping info. Now awaiting your Thailand tales...

Bob - loved your report! Thanks. India's on my list, and you KNOW I'll be asking tons of questions when it gets close (it'll be awhile, though). The detail you provided was terrific! Glad you had a good time.

Fantastic report as always Bob - thanks. I look forward to the Thailand sector.

Your report was really interesting...I had a totally different experience the first time we went to India, more of a spiritual one and full of amazement, but it sounds like u had a really good time!! I wish i could write so much when i got back from a trip...but i just keep my memories in my head!!

Sorry about the wine...I had to throw my mascara and foundation and insect repellent away on our last trip and i was extremely irritated...

Looking forward to our second trip to Goa and our 4th trip to India in a few weeks..

Sure, he goes to India, the most spiritual country in the world and we read about eating and shopping. This pretty much says it all. The Beatles went there and their lives were changed forever. Bob goes there and describes shipping rugs. Did he miss the sixties? 'Nuff said?

Bob, Really enjoyed your report! Thanks for all of the detail.

Bob! YOu certainly managed to shop, drink and eat your way thru India! An interesting approach to the Country, i must say that many folks take a different one!

Anyways, very good to know you had such a wonderful and exciting trip!

But Bob, why India?

It's funny, after a India trip many folks swear off Food for awhile. I guess India agreed with YOU afterall, as u appeared immune To Delhi-Belhi!

A few things!
The Sheraton hotel i know it well! I have stayed there maybe 50 times over the last decade! I will be back in a few weeks and see if you left any lasting impression!

By the way, i do not think i saw you mention it. Did u ever get to the Birla Temple in Jaipur? It is one of my all time favorites, especially at the sunset evening ceromony?

Just an idea, maybe on your next trip u can include more Temples and sacred places in India like khajuraho and of course, ***the holy city of Varanasi too! And better yet, U can take a OVERNITE train to get there! ha ha


Okay, back to your trip. I see u went to all the big name REsturants in Delhi and even managed to go to pandara road Market too. U certuanly get around Bob!

OH and i see u did not like FAb India? I guess we have differnt tastes in clothes!. ACtauly, Fab India is one of the most loved shops in Delhi by us so called "locals"! I get almost all my India outfits there too, salwar/kameez and dupatta's.

My favorite of the lot is the shop at GK1-N block market...Did u go to that one? There are many FAb India's in Delhi, but this market of GK has many shops that sell different items.

What else..Oh, AGRa, I see you at ate at Rio ! It is my good freind's Rishi's resturant! I always go there with "my groups" for lunch!

Oh Bob!!! U bought a carpet for $2000 dollars! Nice job supporting the Indian Economy! many thanx to U.

Lovely to hear your trip went so well after such careful planning!! And sorry i missed you on the Indian road but was busy traveling with groups. Hope to see you in India next year!

I am actually/presently on holiday in BKK and back to Delhi next week! I have a great India Xmas trip i am leading for North and South India too. Namaste!

Great report Bob and anxious to read the Thailand report.

As for the wine, with a one hour layover we would have no problem getting rid of it

Pat

Great report. Another place in the world finds solid footing on our "to go to" list. Thank you for all of the great details!

Oh Bob, Namaste!

Forgot to ask you, what was your favorite Indian dish! I hear u have a fave in Bangkok, so i gather u now have a fave in Delhi too? Could it be Chicken Tikka Masala maybe?

Also, did u get to Cottons or Somo shops in Jaipur/Delhi! These places are in the same line/style as Anokhi more or less! I would say Cottons is my Fave of the lot very creative fun stuff! Also, has one in Delhi in GK1. But generally this is a ladies shop, not for gents.

OH, and how did u like Delhi overall? Considering relocation there or will u stick with Bangkok. Sadly, hard to find serviced apartments in Delhi.

Okay, take care, and looking forward to your Thai report, the latest! I too am now on the ground level myself doing my research too. perhaps we can swap notes.

some final thoughts on india before i answer some questions....

India is a bit of a puzzle in our minds still....our general impressions based on this very limited exposure for 11 days is one of 'we are very glad that we went, but we are not sure that we would rush back'.....ok sit down, don't get excited....perhaps it is not our cup of tea....we loved the experience but in comparison to thailand, our ultimate favorite destination, it cannot hold a candle...
the sights, the smells, the confusion, we enjoyed it all, and we are certainly glad that we were able to experience it, but we've done it now and think it is off our list until so many other of our listed places have been enjoyed...

as for spirituality, what is that?...we are practical people of the 21st C, ok the 19th C, and prefer to deal with things as they are not as they seem to be...

our focus on this trip, as described to arvind in the planning stages, was to see india of today...how the people live and how they struggle with everyday life....added to this would be visits to historical sights with some limited commentary on the significance of the sights and history...and of couse enjoying the food and shopping available...

i suspect this is different from what some of the 'great minds', or mindless, on fodors like, but it is how we like to approach our travel these days....

thus we look at people and their everyday lives, the food and current culture of the people and country...leave the "spirituality" to the rock stars and the dead beetles...it's out of our scope and will remain so....

bonita in answer to your questions:

we had no food problems at all...but remember our history of eating in thailand....karen is a nazi about what we eat....we did debate only eating veggie, but discarded that almost immediately....we loved both the veggie and the meat dishes....we usually do not eat mutton or lamb, but i did eat some and karen lifted her ban on it long enough to at least try it again (left over phoba from living in south america as a child)....karen's fav food was dal, the lentil dish in all forms...we both love paneer plaka, a spinach and cheese dish and i like any thing with the name paneer....chicken tikka masala and just plain chicken tikka were my favorites..

the birla temple was on our list of things to do, but we just never got there...

the fab india shop we visited was in a strip mall sort of area in n. delhi...about 4 floors.... we never got to GK-1 and many other shopping venues...twice we tried to go to cottons, including our last day in jaipur and they were not open either time....we did not see somo....

delhi---we liked it, but i think we liked jaipur the best...the tension in delhi, bacause of the strikes and the police pressence made enjoyment less easy...the traffic was far less than we had suspected...our focus in delhi was mostly historical and secondly on shopping so we missed a lot...

pat----the authorities at the delhi airport would not let me leave the inspection area with the wine so we had no chance to swallow it....pitty...its only wine...next time i will buy screw top bottles!!


THIS CONCLUDES MY REPORT...i will answer any questions as you submit them..

next the most fabulous place in the world--- T H A I L A N D !!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks ever so much, Bob.
Enjoyed your preplanning the trip and glad you had a wonderful and exciting trip!

"we've done it now and think it is off our list until so many other of our listed places have been enjoyed..." But you only went to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, right? The absolutely most touristy places. That's a bit like going to New York, Washington and Miami and thinking you've "done" the U.S. And while you may not be into spirituality, ignoring it in India is like going to Rome and skipping Vatican City. I'm glad you had a great trip, but there did seem to be an emphasis on eating and shopping.

Loved your report Bob!

I can't understand why people criticize others for what they enjoy doing. If everyone liked the same things it would be a very boring world.

Rob